Thursday, November 19, 2015

PCUSA Office of Public Witness Signs on to Letter in Support of Syrian Refugees

November 17, 2015
Dear Senator/Representative:

As refugee and immigration law experts, humanitarian aid organizations, faith, labor and civil and human
rights groups, we write to express our support for the U.S. refugee resettlement program. The world is
witnessing the largest refugee crisis since World War II. More than 4 million Syrians have fled from their
home country fleeing conflict and violence, and 6.5 million are displaced internally.

At a time when the world needs humanitarian leadership, some are now calling for the suspension of the
U.S. refugee resettlement program or the imposition of restrictions on funding for Syrians and other
groups of refugees. We oppose these proposals and believe they would jeopardize the United States'
moral leadership in the world.

Syrian refugees are fleeing exactly the kind of terror that unfolded on the streets of Paris. They have
suffered violence just like this for almost five years. Most have lost loved ones to persecution and
violence, in addition to having had their country, their community, and everything they own brutally
taken from them.

Refugees are the most thoroughly vetted group of people who come to the United States. Security
screenings are rigorous and involve the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Department of
Defense and multiple intelligence agencies. Department of Homeland Security officials interview each
refugee to determine whether they meet the refugee definition and whether they are admissible to the
United States. Refugees undergo a series of biometric and investigatory background checks, including
collection and analysis of personal data, fingerprints, photographs, and other background information, all
of which is checked against government databases. The entire process typically takes more than two
years and often much more before the refugee would arrive in the U.S. In addition the Administration is
already taking steps, with its existing authority, to increase the capacity of its security and screening
procedures for refugees. There is no need for Congress to impose additional restrictions or security
measures.

The United States decides which refugees to resettle. Because so few refugees in the world are resettled,
the U.S. often chooses the most vulnerable, including refugees who cannot remain safely where they are
and families with children who cannot receive the medical care they need to survive.

To turn our back on refugees would be to betray our nation's core values. It would send a demoralizing
and dangerous message to the world that the United States makes judgments about people based on the
country they come from and their religion. This feeds into extremist propaganda and makes us all less
safe. We call upon Congress to demonstrate leadership by speaking out against the scapegoating of any
group during this time of crisis and to ensure that our nation’s humanitarian efforts are robust.

The United States is a welcoming country with a diverse society and our resettlement program must
continue to reflect this.

We can welcome refugees while ensuring our own security. Refugees have enriched communities across
our country and have been part of the American fabric for generations. Historically our nation has
responded to every major war or conflict and has resettled refugees from Africa, South East Asia, Eastern
Europe as well as the Middle-East. Closing the door to refugees would be disastrous for not only the
refugees themselves, but their family members in the United States who are waiting for them to arrive,
and our reputation in the world.

Sincerely,
The Advocates for Human Rights
Alliance for Citizenship
American Civil Liberties Union
American Immigration Lawyers Association
American Jewish Committee (AJC)
American Refugee Committee
America’s Voice Education FundAnti-Defamation League
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC
Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence.
Association of Jewish Family and Children’s AgenciesCARE USA
Center for Applied Linguistics
Center for Gender & Refugee Studies
Center for New Community
Center for Victims of Torture
Centro de los Derechos de Inmigrante, Inc.
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Refugee & Immigration Ministries
Church World Service
Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach
Concern Worldwide (US) Inc.
Conference of Major Superiors of Men
Council on American-Islamic Relations
The Episcopal Church
Ethiopian Community Development Council, Inc.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Farmworker Justice
Franciscan Action Network
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Habonim Dror North America
HIAS
Human Rights First
InterAction
International Catholic Migration Commission
International Refugee Assistance Project
International Rescue Committee
Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States, National Advocacy Office
Jesuit Refugee Service/USA
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jewish Labor Committee
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
Mercy-USA for Aid and Development
Mi Familia Vota
Muslim Public Affairs Council
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)

National Council of Jewish Women
National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC)
National Immigration Forum
National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild
NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates
OneAmerica
ORAM – Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration
Oxfam America
Peace Action West
Presbyterian Church USA
Refugees International
Save the Children
South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
STAND: The Student-Led Movement to End Mass Atrocities
SustainUS: U.S. Youth for Justice
Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS)
Syria Relief Development
Tahirih Justice Center
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
Union for Reform Judaism
Unitarian Universalist Association
United to End Genocide
United Farm Workers
United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
UURISE – Unitarian Universalist Refugee and Immigrant Services and Education, Inc.
Win Without WarWomen’s Refugee Commission
Workmen’s Circle
World Relief

About Me

The Presbyterian Office of Public Witness is the public policy information and advocacy office of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Its task is to advocate, and help the church to advocate, the social witness perspectives and policies of the Presbyterian General Assembly. The church has a long history of applying these biblically and theologically-based insights to issues that affect the public — maintaining a public policy ministry in the nation's capital since 1946.
Reformed theology teaches that because a sovereign God is at work in all the world, the church and Christian citizens should be concerned about public policy. In addition, Presbyterian forefather John Calvin wrote, "Civil magistry is a calling not only holy and legitimate, but by far the most sacred and honorable in human life."